Gina Trapani

Dying to join the ranks of pajama-clad work-at-homers? The boss doesn't want you to telecommute for several reasons, but the Web Worker Daily blog offers a few talking points that can build your case. First, use the term "telework" instead of "telecommute" to emphasize that your time at home wouldn't be time off. Second, show that teleworking would help you get more done.

If your manager doesn't focus on results, it's up to you to help him start. Start reporting simple management numbers that focus on your productivity. Productivity numbers don't just show how much you've completed, but shows how quickly or efficiently you tackled them. That generally means including a time component to your statistics such as tasks competed per hour, income generated per day, or product per week.

Once you've got those down, you can propose trying telework on a trial basis, and show that your numbers stay the same or increase with the new arrangement. How did you convince a doubtful manager to let you work from home? Tell us your secrets in the comments.